Quality Never Fades

He's not trendy or fashionable, and he's getting a touch long in the tooth, but this stallion very nearly won a Golden Slipper and may well have a big role to play in the end result this year.

Charge Forward was the top rated two year-old colt of 2003/2004 and beat all bar brilliant gelding Dance Hero in the 2004 Golden Slipper with star filly Alinghi and future champion sire Fastnet Rock just behind him in third and fourth place.

It was a vintage running of the race and 14 years later, Charge Forward maybe on the verge of even more redemption for that short neck defeat.

Last year he sired the dam of the winner She Will Reign and this year will seek to replicate the achievement as he's the sire of the dam of outstanding fillies Sunlight and Estijaab.

Sunlight by Zoustar and Estijaab by Snitzel are both coming into the race off last start wins, Estijaab winning the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes two weeks ago, while Sunlight won the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes last Saturday.

At their previous start, the pair clashed in the Group II ATC Silver Slipper with Sunlight holding a narrow margin over Estijaab and nearly seven lengths back to the next best filly.

To get three such good fillies in a short space of time as a broodmare sire has really put the spotlight back on Charge Forward, who was moved on from Arrowfield Stud to Murrulla Stud in 2017 and placed in the care of Tim and Celie Nolan.

By Red Ransom (USA) from a Group I winning daughter of Bletchingly that traces to a prolific Black Type American female family, Charge Forward has plenty of diverse blood to bring to a pedigree and it's no surprise to see his daughters making their mark.

He is the sire of the dam of 58 winners from 106 runners with an impressive seven stakes-winners headed by his three 'golden girls' not to mention the very good filly Limestone, who was fourth in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring.

For those Inglis Easter buyers looking for a little of his blood at the Riverside Stables next month he has one entry in the sale, Lot 487, offered by the Esplin family owned Tartan Fields.

The Esplin family bred and sold Charge Forward as a yearling and then purchased a share in him when he went to stud. They still support him in his new home at Murrulla Stud and the filly they will offer is a full sister to Group III winner Slightly Sweet and stakes-placed Positive Charge from Semitone.

There are also three Inglis Easter yearlings from daughters of Charge Forward, click here to see their pedigrees.

Charge Forward will turn 17 this year and covered 42 mares last spring at a fee of $8,800. For broodmare owners looking outside the square and seeking affordable quality, Charge Forward is always in the mix.